Plastics and rubber are two very different, important materials which are used a great deal in our everyday life, both in indoors and outdoors. However, there is still, controversy surrounding the use of certain polymers and there are also some misconceptions surrounding their use.

In recent years there have been certain scare stories about the possible negative effects on human health from some of these materials. However, today it is realised that it is often not the polymers themselves, but their monomers or the additives used that are responsible for these negative effects. And the reality is that a lot of polymers are used in medical applications without adverse effects on patients. Hence, the dividing line between whether something is toxic and harmful to health or not (and if it is, under what conditions) is a very critical issue and therefore, there needs to be a better understanding of these systems.

This book presents the available information on the eternal triangle of plastics and rubber and health, to enable a better understanding of the facts.

6 Plastics Use in Healthcare and Their Possible Health Effects6.1 Plastics in Biomedical and Healthcare Applications 6.1.1 ‘Commodity’ and ‘Specialty’ Medical Plastics 6.2 Fibre Reinforced Plastics as Medical Materials 6.3 Direct Use of Synthetic Polymers as Drugs and Therapeutic Agents 6.4 Dental Resin Composites 6.5 Use of Polymers in Dialysis 6.6 Ophthalmic, Prostheses and Other Applications of Medical Polymers References

7 Plastics and Rubbers Applications in Construction and Their Possible Health Effects7.1 Introduction 7.2 Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome 7.2.1 What is Sick Building Syndrome? 7.2.2 Possible Sources of IAQ/Sick Building Syndrome Problems, in General, and Some Solutions 7.2.3 Four Elements of Sick Building Syndrome 7.3 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) 7.3.1 Possible Sources of VOC 7.3.2 Permissable Limits for VOC Indoors 7.4 Risk Management and Some Notes on Toxic Compounds that can be Found in Indoor Spaces 7.4.1 Risk Management 7.5 Some Notes on Toxic Materials that can be Found Indoors 7.5.1 Endocrine Disrupters (ECD) and Some Suspected ECD Agents Indoors 7.5.2 Effect of Some Plastics, Rubbers and Wood-Related Materials on the Indoors Atmosphere in Houses 7.5.3 Some Construction Applications and Related Possible Health Hazards Indoors References Some Additional Related Bibliography Appendix A-7.1 Radon Indoors

8 Use of Plastic and Rubber in Various Applications and Possible Health Effects8.1 Plastic and Rubber Use in Sports and Leisure and Possible Health Effects 8.1.1 Plastics and Rubbers as ‘Artificial Surfaces’ in Sports and Leisure 8.1.2 Plastic and Rubber Use as ‘Clothing’ in Sports and Leisure 8.1.3 Plastics and Rubbers Use in ‘Water and Motor Sports’ 8.2 Automotive and Transportation Applications 8.2.1 Why Use Plastics and Rubbers in Automotive Applications? 8.2.2 Which Plastic/Rubber to Use for Automotive Applications? 8.3 Plastic Use in Agriculture and Possible Health Effects 8.4 Plastic and Rubber in Electric and Electronics Applications, Their Health Effects 8.5 Outline of Plastics Use as Other Consumer Products and Possible Health Effects References Some Additional Related Literature

9 Sustainability Through Plastics and Rubbers9.1 Sustainability in General 9.2 The EU - Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) 9.3 A Briefing on Environmental Laws and Sustainable Use of Plastics and Rubbers 9.3.1 Plastics, Rubbers and the Environment 9.3.2 Plastics and Rubbers Waste 9.3.3 Polymers from Natural Renewable Sources (Sustainability Through Green Polymers) 9.3.4 Sustainability Through Additives References Some Additional Related References

10 List of Some Health Hazard Causing Solvents, Monomers and Chemicals Common for Plastics and RubbersReferences Some Additional Related References

11 Short Lists of Some Extremely Hazardous Substances and IARC Groups 1, 2a, 2b, 3 and 4 Carcinogens Related to Plastics and Rubbers11.1 A List of Some Extremely Hazardous Substances Related to Plastics and Rubbers 11.2 A Brief List of IARC Group 1 Carcinogens for Chemicals Related to Plastics and Rubbers 11.3 A Brief List of IARC Group 2A Carcinogens for Chemicals Related to Plastics and Rubbers 11.5 A Brief List of IARC Group 3 Carcinogens for Chemicals Related to Plastics and Rubbers 11.6 A Brief List of IARC Group 4 Carcinogens for Chemicals Related to Plastics and Rubbers

Appendix Website Company/Organisation Glossary Abbreviations Index

Guneri AKOVALI is a Professor Emeritus, at the Middle East Technical University (METU) of Ankara. He is a Chemical Engineer, with an MSc and PhD (the latter earned for work on Polymer Chemistry and Physics). He was a staff member of the Departments. of Chemistry and Polymer Science and Technology, of METU, until his retirement. He is the founder of the Department of Polymer Science and technology of METU. He also worked for at Princeton University and the University of California (at Berkeley) as a visiting scientist, at different times in his career.

Professor Akovali is one of the founding members of the Turkish Polymer Engineering and Science Society and the Asian Polymer Federation, and he is currently the Deputy President of the latter. He is the Turkish representative for the European Polymer Federation.

Professor Akovali has written over 150 scientific papers, which have been published in leading refereed international scientific journals, in addition to a number of other technical articles. He has written four books and acted as General Editor for seven books.